Power control



April 11, 1944. B EDGAR 2,346,565 POWER CONTROL Fil'ed Mar'ch 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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April 11, 1944. B EDGAR 2,346,565

- POWER CONTROL I Filed March 19, 1941 2 Shasta-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

* F E. EDEFIR Patented Apr. 11, 1944 UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFICE 2,346,565 POWER CONTROL Frank B. Edgar, Des Moines, Iowa Application March 19, 1941, Serial No. 384,109

3 Claims.

This invention relates to controlsfor shafts. More specifically, it relates to controls for rotating shafts.

Recently a number oflabor saving devices have been developed for use on the front ends of trac tors and the like. These include such items as dirt lifters, manure loaders, and hay stackers. The construction of these devices is such that a large shovel member or other suitable device mounted on the front of the tractor and powered from a suitably located power take-off is capable of being caused to scoop into a pile of dirt or the like on the ground upon the tractor being driven forward. The shovel is then raised into a supported position in front of the tractor by means of power supplied from the power take-off. With the scoop in the elevated position, it is possible to drive the tractor to another location some distance away and there make disposition of the load.

The custom has been in the past to provi'de a clutch mechanism for operating the driving means which raises the scope in these devices and to supply an individual separate braking means or other suitable construction for maintaining the scoop in an elevated position after it has been loaded and raised. These structures have involved duplication of parts and substantial complexity in construction and operation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which is capable of both communicating rotation and halting rotation.

Another object of this inventionis to provide such a device in which both results may be secured by operation of asingle lever.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a clutch-brake device in which both the brake and the clutch actively engage the same shaft.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a clutch-brake mechanism in which the brake as well as the clutch is of the multiple disc type of construction.

In order that a more clear and concise understanding of my invention may be had, reference .Fig, 4 1 vertical .cross sectional view of the clutch portion of my device taken on a plane parallel with the direction of the splined shaft.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the braking portion of my structure, a part of the top portion of the brake drum and slidable washer-like member being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 1-1 'of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 5.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, I have used the reference numeral II] to designate the central shaft. Splines on each end of said shaft are designated by II. Discs I2 suitably notched on their central bearings are received on one end of the splined shaft IIl. Discs I3 similarly notched are received on the other end of the splined shaft I0. Clutch housing I4 and brake housing or drum I5 are provided for the said discs I2 and I3 respectively. Ridges I6 are provided on the inner periphery of the housing I4 and ridges ll are provided on the inner periphery of the housing or drum I5. Discs I8 suitably notched for engagement with the ridges I6 are mounted in the housing I4. It is' ap parent from Fig. 4 that the discs I8 have central openings of a size greater than the diameter of the splined shaft I0 so that they do not directly engage the said shaft I0. Similarly discs I9 suitably notched for engagement with the ridges IT on the inner periphery of the drum I5 are mounted in the said drum or housing IS. The central openings of the discs I9 are also of a size such that they do not directly engage the splined shaft. As is apparent from Fig. 4, the discs I8 keyed to the clutch housing I4 and the discs I2 keyed to the adjacent end of the splined shaft I0 alternate in occurrence. The same is true of the discs I3 and I9 keyed to the other end of the splined shaft I9 and to the brake drum respectively. The construction is such that all of the discs I2, I3, I8 and I9, or at least all of them except the end-most discs I8 and I9, are easily slidable along the ridges or splines which they respectively engage. The brake'drum or housing I 5 is stationarily mounted upon any suitable support 20. The clutch housing I4 is rotatably mounted upon a bearing structure -2 I. The outer end of said housing I4 is provided with a pulley 22 or other suitable means for transmitting power. Slidably splined on the shaft. Ill adjacent the inner-most discs I2 and I3 are the collar members 23 and 24 respectively. Slidably longitudinally of the shaft I0.

toward the clutch end of my device.

' through the discs [2.

mounted on the collar 23 is a shorter collar or Washer-like member 25 stationed adjacent the inner-most disc [2. A similar washer-like memcentral portion 21 of the shaft [0 is rotatably received in a flanged band 36, which engages a ridge 3'! (see Fig 7), on said enlarged central portion 21. Obviousl y while the shaft It is en'- tirely free to rotate within the said band 36, said band 36 is prevented, by the engagement of its flanges on the ridge 31, from being slidable The lever 38 is pivotally mounted at 39 on the bracket 40. The lower end of the lever 38 engages the band 36 in a rotatable connection at 4|. At the clutch end ofmy device, the shaft I0 is longitudinally slidable as well as rotatably mounted in the journal 42 of the general housing structure I4. At the brake end of my device, the end of the shaft IO is rotatably and longitudinally slidably supported in the bearing 43. Between the bearing 43 and the drum I5, the gear 44 is mounted on the shaft Ill. The said gear 44 is longitudinally slidable on theshaft ill, but its central bearing hole is so notched as to engage the splines on the shaft [0, whereby it is rotatably keyed to the said shaft l0. (Fig. 10.)

Referring now to the operation of my device, power is transmitted from the power take-off of the tractor to the pulley 22, whereby the clutch housing l4 and hence the discs l8 are caused to rotate. When-it is desired to drive the shaft In, the lever 38 is manually moved into the position shown in Fig. 1. Movement of the lever into thisposition obviously moves the shaft H1, including the enlarged section 21 and the cone 28, By this action, the end portions 45 of the long ends of the cam fingers 34 are caused to travel up the inclined plane of the cone, 28 until they are in substantially the positions shown in Fig. 1, namely resting on a fiat surface of the enlarged section 21; Asthe ends 45 of the cam fingers '34 are moved outwardly from a point adjacent the .slender sections of the shaft ID to a point adjacent the enlarged section 21, the cam ends 46 of said cam fingers 34 are caused to move inwardly toward the shaft l0 and hence to force the washer-like member 25 intimately against the innermost disc l2, which in turn presses against the innermost disc I8 and so on. The movement of the member 23 away from the member I4 is prevented by the termination of the splines on the shaft l0. Obviously, at least by the time that all of the plates I2 have been forced into intimate contact with all of the plates l8, which effect hasdevice is out of engagement. When it is desired When the clutch is oper-' ating as it is when the lever 38 is in the position shown in Fig. l, the brake portion of my moved into a position substantially on the other side of the vertical from that in which it is shown in Fig. 1. This action has an effect on those cam fingers 34 which are on the brake side of my device similar to that which movement of the lever 38 into the position shown in Fig. 1 has on the cam fingers 34 on the clutch side. That is, it causes their ends 45 to climb the incline of the cone 29 whereby their cam ends 46 are caused to force inwardly the washer-like member 26 and hence to eventually bring all of the discs l3 into engagement with the stationary discs l5. When the latter condition has been reached, obviously the shaft I0 is held against rotation. When the lever 38 is in a substantially vertical position, my device is in neutral and neither the braking mechanism nor the clutch mechanism is in engagement. In both the engagement of the clutch operation and the application of the brake operation, the incline of the respective cones 2B and 29 and the substantial leverage furnished by the long ends of the cam fingers 34 cooperate to reduce the manual power necessary in manipulating the lever 38. When the shaft Ill is being driven by the clutch mechanism, power from said shaft I0 may be transmitted by means of the gear 44, which is keyed to said shaft Iii.

While I have mentioned my device as having specific application in connection with loaders and the like for the front ends of tractors, its scope of utility is obviously by no means limited thereto. For example my structure might very well be used in the power transmission structure of a steamship.

I have described a specific embodiment of my invention for the purposes of illustration and clarity; obviously numerous modifications in addition to those specifically herein mentioned may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, I wish .to be limited herein only by the prior art and appended claims.

I claim:

1. A power control device comprising, arotatable, longitudinally, slidable shaft, a multiple disc type clutch for rotating said shaft, a brake for said shaft including a plurality of discs keyed to said shaft capable of engaging a plurality of stationary discs, a surface on said shaft inclined away from the brake and toward the clutch, a surface on said shaft inclined away from the clutch and toward the brake, a cam structure capable of being operated at least in part by one of said inclined surfaces to cause engagement of the clutch, a cam structure capable of being operated at least in part by the other of said inclined surfaces to cause engagement of the brake, and means for sliding said shaft longitudinally in one direction to cause operative engagement of the clutch operating cam structure with one inclined surface and in the other direction to cause operative engagement of the brake operating cam structure with the other inclined surface.

2. A power control device comprising a rotatable longitudinally slidable shaft, a multiple disc type clutch fo rotating said shaft, a brake for said shaft, a surface on said shaft inclined away from the brake and toward the clutch, a surface on said shaft inclined away from the clutch and toward the brake, a cam structure capable of being operated at least in part by one of said inclined surfaces to cause engagement of the clutch, a cam structure capable of being operated at least in part by the other ofsaid inclined surfaces to cause application of the brake, and means for sliding said shaft longitudinally in one direction to cause operative engagement of the clutch operating cam structure with one inclined surface and in the other direction to cause operative engagement of the brake operating cam structure with the other inclined surface.

3. A power control device comprising a rotatable longitudinally slidable shaft, a multiple disc ty pe clutch for rotating said shaft, a brake for 10 said shaft, a surface on said shaft inclined away from the brake and toward the clutch, a surface on said shaft inclined away from the clutch and of the brake operating structure with the other inclined surface. I

FRANK B. EDGAR. 

